Ziad Alouki

Ziad Alouki is a commander of a Sunni Muslim militia in the Bab al-Tabbaneh neighborhood of northern Tripoli, Lebanon.

Biography
Ziad Alouki was born in Tripoli, Lebanon to a family of Sunni Muslim Lebanese. Alouki was one of the Lebanese Sunnis who resisted occupation by the Syrian Army in Lebanon during the Lebanese Civil War in 1982-2000 along with Abu Da'as, and during the conflict between the Sunni Bab al-Tabbaneh neighborhood with the Jabal Mohsen Alawites, he became a major warlord. Alouki led armed guards who defended Sunni mosques from suicide bombers or shooters, and at times they would fire at the Shi'ite neighborhood until the Lebanese Army arrived to restore order. Alouki was a respected figure, and he would distribute food for the poor people of Tripoli, as it was his responsibility to protect his friends and family. In early 2014, VICE News correspondent Aris Roussinos interviewed him, and Alouki took him on a tour of his neighborhood.